Psykronian
Psykronians are a species of humanoid aliens native to the planet Oath. Main protagonist Krya Vom-Za is the princess of the Psykronians. Along with their rivals, the Pyrahks, Psykronians are an evolutionary offshoot of genetically engineered Oathans (a.k.a. the Ancients) that quickly adapted to their changing surroundings. They are renowned for their high tolerance of cold climates, their proud warrior culture that prizes bravery and honor, their religion-fueled aversion to technology, and their powerful cryokinetic queens who have carried the Omni Code within their DNA for generations. Biology Superficially, Psykronians appear similar to humans (particularly Caucasian humans), albeit with aesthetic differences. They typically stand at least 6’ tall to better retain heat in their frosty environment; some have been known to grow as much as 8’ tall. They sport either blue, white, or purple hair, along with blue or purple eyes, and they have light, often cream-colored skin. Adding on to their exotic appearance, Psykronian physiology is decidedly unique from humans. Psykronian blood is tinted blue with psykroglobin, a recently discovered chemical that, when exposed to oxygen, releases heat, which spreads across the body and keeps the Psykronian warm. Psykronians keep their blue tongues compressed within their mouths, but they can extend their tongues up to 3’ from their mouths to grab food in a manner similar to a frog or chameleon. Biologists believe this is a vestigial remnant of their evolutionary ancestors using their tongues to catch fruit and small animals millions of years ago. Psykronians have 3 hearts and 2 stomachs. They can see at night and in blizzards with protective, photosensitive membrane that slips over their eyes. Their nostrils and mouths have glands that heat the air they inhale. Each of their cells contain antifreeze proteins that inhibit ice crystal growth within their bodies and protects them from subzero temperatures. Psykronians are omnivorous, and they are able to adapt to different biochemistries, allowing them to eat foodstuffs on planets other than their own. Their preferred food seems to be fish due to its abundance and nutritional value, although they also eat fruit and grains. Psykronians like Krya Vom-Za have been known to develop an intense attraction for ice cream beyond merely enjoying the food to the point of its effects being comparable to catnip. The exact reason for this behavior is not fully understood and requires further research. Psykronians are considered ready to mate when they are at least 18 Earth years of age. Roughly 7 to 10 days after mating, a Psykronian female will lay a melon-sized egg. Psykronian eggs have insulated shells that maintain a consistent temperature, preventing the baby inside from freezing or overheating. The eggs are tough but slightly elastic, making them difficult to break from the outside. Even so, male & female Psykronians typically share equal responsibility in protecting their eggs from predators & the elements, as well as cleaning them to protect them from disease, turning them so the babies don't stick to the shells, and forming loving telepathic bonds with their unhatched children. Psykronian egg yolks contain microbes that cause it to constantly regenerate, ensuring the embryos are getting proper nutrition as they consume increasingly larger amounts of yolk. The yolk is completely depleted by the time the baby is fully developed and ready to hatch. The gender of the baby is determined by the incubation temperatures. A cooler egg hatches a boy; a warmer egg hatches a girl. After about 18 months of incubation, the egg will hatch, and a baby Psykronian will be born. Newborn Psykronians are equivalent to 9-month old human babies mentally & physically as a result of having more time to develop. Psykronian babies are able to crawl right after they hatch, they have distinct personalities, and they can respond to their surroundings. Nevertheless, they are still very helpless and must be nursed by their mothers for the first year of their lives. Given proper care, a Psykronian can live for up to 300 years. Psykronians are extremely hardy, capable of enduring temperatures as low as -200°C (-328°F), and they are virtually immune to frostbite and hypothermia. However, they struggle to survive in temperatures higher than 20°C (68°F), and unless they are quickly taken to a cool environment or possess the frigiokinetic powers activated by the Omni Code, they will die of heatstroke within minutes. Analysis of the Psykronian genome suggests that they have retained their Oathan ancestors’ ability to edit their own RNA and, theoretically, could potentially adapt to warmer climates over time. However, due to millennia spent acclimating to their native arctic environment, Psykronians would likely adapt their genetics much more slowly than Oathans. More data should be collected before this hypothesis can be tested. Psykronians are also able to withstand low-oxygen and radioactive environments, including outer space. They can hold their breath for up to half an hour, and pockets within their lungs let them store oxygen for later use. They can heal their wounds in minutes and regenerate lost limbs within days. As Psykronians are adapted to Oath’s strong gravitational pull, they are capable of performing superhuman physical feats on celestial bodies with weaker gravity such as Earth. Psykronians can effortlessly lift up to 50 tons and leap as high as 30’ into the air. They would also weigh up to 1/20 of how much they weigh on their home planet.. Psykronians are capable of forming pocket vacuums that compress and supercool the molecules within, forming them into ice. They can also compress and ionize air within the subzero pocket vacuum before propelling the electrically charged air forward into a beam of supercooled plasma. Psykronians genetically infused with the Omni Code are able to assume what is called an Omni Form, in which under extreme stress, the carrier transforms into an extremely powerful being that Psykronians believe is the Divine Mother herself. In this form, a Psykronian becomes almost invincible. She can fly indefinitely, shrug off the mightiest blows, unleash immense physical strength, form powerful ice comets and supercooled plasma beams with little effort, and even ravage her surroundings with a devastating cryovolcanic eruption of liquid nitrogen and ice meteors. This form does not last long. It wears off when the Psykronian is no longer under stress, and leaves her tired and weak from the energy used to sustain the Omni Form. The exact biomechanics of all of these techniques are currently unknown and require further research. The only known Omni Code positive Psykronians are those of royal background (such as Krya Vom-Za, her late mother Kythea, and her aunt Zexa) due to the cultural traditions of Psykronian society. History Culture Psykronians value honor and courage; they are known for their warriors. Not all Psykronians seek war; indeed, some Psykronians such as Krya are pacifists who do not like to fight. However, they are expected to wield a weapon and use their fists & feet to defend themselves from enemy warriors and vicious Psykronian wildlife. Psykronian royalty in particular, such as Krya, are traditionally required to master martial arts and swordsmanship by their teens. All children are taught survival skills at an early age. That is not to say, however, that Psykronians are without finer qualities. There are many Psykronian artists, musicians, scientists, and philosophers. Sculptors glorify queens and warriors with realistic marble statues, and painters depict mythological and historical scenes in a style reminiscent of Archaic-period Greece alongside triangle, hexagon, and swirl motifs. With few exceptions such as Kythea, intellectuals are not as well regarded by Psykronian society due to the fear they may propose ideas that violate the teachings of the Ko-Za’Ke, as well as the perceived notion that they are weak. Psykronians wear little clothing to display their bravery, fertility, and strength. They cover sensitive areas such as genitalia, but they believe that to truly survive in their harsh, unaccommodating home, they must be bare like the day they were born. Some may wear pieces of armor, jewelry, animal pelts, or even scraps of ancient technology to display their status, and they are frequently known to bear tattoos. They view clothes covering the entire body as bizarre and unsightly. In any case, Psykronians would overheat in a full set of clothes. Psykronians do not have the same sensibility hang-ups about nudity and sex that some races such as humans do. They take pride in displaying their scantily clad bodies in public spaces, and they have no problem with discussing their sexual prowess with their peers. Psykronians meditate for about 10 minutes every morning when they wake up and again every night before going to sleep. During certain holidays such as Dez-Ralun, Psykronians will undergo a ritualistic period of meditation and fasting where they go without food for the whole day. They believe depriving their body this way steels the mind, and that if they successfully perform the ritual, the Divine Mother will reward them with good fortune the next day. This mentality is put to the test every year when the harvest is reaped and Psykron goes dark for six months. During that time, Psykronians restrict themselves to one meal and drink a day. Once the sun returns, Psykronians celebrate with a grand feast. Although Psykronians will eat a wide variety of food, they never eat eggs. In fact, Psykronians hold eggs sacred. Psykronians come from eggs themselves, and they believe that the eggs of all living things contain souls that have not received their physical bodies yet. These factors lead to a cultural taboo forbidding the consumption of eggs. As mentioned earlier, Psykronians have largely resisted technological development for fear of moral decay and divine punishment. Psykronian royalty has reserved a few pieces of the Ancients’ technology such as an egg incubator to hatch the next princess and an anti-gravity belt passed to every queen over millennia. But recently, under the rulership of Kythea and Varkon, Psykronian society has shown gradual signs of enlightenment and has taken steps to become more progressive. With the help of the robot assistant, J-3V, Psykronians restored a few elements of ancient Oathan technology such as weapons, hovercraft, and a telescope. However, the Ko-Za Council has been strongly against these developments. Politics Psykronian government is a theocratic monarchy. At the head of the government is a queen regnant who represents the Divine Mother Za in the mortal realm and who wields sovereign power over Psykron. On the day of her coronation, she takes a binding oath promising “to rule the people with strength, wisdom and fairness, to uphold and dispense justice upon Psykron’s enemies, and to enact the will of the Divine Mother Za this day and forever more”. Religion The majority of Psykronians practice Ko-Za. Once deemed a fringe cult by the Ancients, it spread at an unprecedented rate across the planet Oath, and it is now considered the official religion of Psykron. Most Psykronians live by following a close interpretation of the Ko-Za’Ke, a written collection of holy scripture and Psykronian mythology. Notable Members Krya Vom-Za Trivia - The term “Psykronian” is derived from a corruption of the Greek suffix psychro (ψυχρός), meaning “cold”. - The initial concept for Psykronians and Pyrahks was inspired from a section of a science school book explaining psychrophile and thermophile life - Psykronians as a species were heavily based on the Red Martians from Edgar Rice Burroughs’s novel, A'' ''Princess of Mars. Both Psykronians and Red Martians are humanoid alien races that descended from an earlier race, regressed from an advanced society to a more primitive one, value honorable warriors, worship a single goddess, wear little clothing, and hatch from eggs. - Psykronians were also based on Tamaraneans, a humanoid alien warrior race in the DC Comics universe whose most famous member is Starfire (the primary influence of main protagonist Krya). Both races wear little clothing, can tolerate extreme temperatures and the vacuum of outer space, worship a single goddess, perform superhuman strength on planets with weaker gravity than their own, and (in the case of Psykronian queens & princesses) can fly and shoot energy projectiles from their hands. - In early versions of the story, Psykronians and Pyrahks were originally going to be from different planets. Category:Aliens Category:Psykronian